Sen. Blumenthal: The Real Meaning Of Valentine’s Day Is Gun Control

Also, never letting a good crisis go to waste while dancing on the graves of kids in an attempt to push a limitation on the 2nd Amendment rights of law abiding citizens while failing to take into consideration any laws that affect criminals

Today is bittersweet. All across America, people are giving their loved ones tokens of their affection. A box of chocolates. A dozen roses. Homemade Valentine cards. And that’s the way Valentine’s Day should be.

Except this Valentine’s Day is different. Today also marks the two-month anniversary of the tragic shooting of 20 innocent school children and six dedicated educators in Newtown, Conn. The grief of these 26 families is unimaginable. Undoubtedly, all Americans send them their love this Valentine’s Day. But love is not enough. We owe these families more than our love and support. We owe them action.

To be brutally honest, we do not owe them anything more than our empathy and love. We were not the ones who killed them. We were not the ones who want bat guano insane. And let’s consider that all the guns, including the Bushmaster .223, were legal under Connecticut law. Blumenthal goes on to point out that many polls show support for universal background checks, securing our schools (which Dems mostly won’t allow with armed guards) and a federal database to track guns

With broad public support, a system of background checks on gun and ammunition purchases simply makes sense. Over the last decade, background checks on guns have prohibited 700,000 individuals from purchasing guns- 700,000 felons, domestic abusers, addicts and seriously mentally ill individuals prohibited from purchasing a firearm. Unfortunately, existing laws enable those same individuals to engage in private sales at gun shows or over the Internet, undetected and undeterred…

The number of people who can purchase guns without a background check is small. This has been discussed again and again. Registered dealers, on the Internet and at gun shows, are required to perform a check. If you buy one on the ‘Net, it is sent to a registered dealer. And, here’s an important point: can Blumenthal show proof that guns purchased without a check in the manners he mention have been used in crimes? That said, I’m not against background checks. Now, checks for ammunition purchases? Now we’re starting to get creative in finding ways to limit people.

We must take action on ammunition purchases. Last month, I introduced the Ammunition Background Check Act. This bill is simple, but far-reaching in its potential impact. It would require an instant background check for the sale of ammunition. The legislation creates an essential enforcement mechanism where one currently does not exist, and should be a commonsense component of a comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence.

Blumenthal forgets to mention, as he moves the goal post, how this is going to make a difference. Other than increasing the costs of ammunition, as well as immediately giving the Central Planning Office information on your ammo purchases, what will this do? Criminals do not generally walk in to a store to purchase.

We must also do more to stop the scourge of illegal gun trafficking in our communities. A bill pending in the Senate would help crack down on the straw purchase of firearms – a practice where an individual with a clean background buys a gun for someone who is prohibited from obtaining one. Closing this loophole would make it a federal crime to purchase a gun with the purpose of transferring it to someone else.

Perhaps Richard should have a talk with Obama and Eric Holder and discuss why their underlings were doing just this.

Richard also mentions mental health support, and how reform could be difficult. He’s right. Sadly, it seems that people with mental health issues are going to be demonized and see their Rights restricted, even though they have broken no laws, it’s just that someone else broke the law.

None of these common sense reforms is easy. But, on this Valentine’s Day, and on every day going forward, we owe it to the families of Newtown and to all families grieving over a loved one lost to gun violence, to have the political courage to act – now.

And virtually none of the offered legislation will stop people bent on using a gun for violence. Unbelievably stiff laws in Chicago have not only failed to stop gun violence, it seems as if criminals are taking advantage of the stiff laws.